"A Longitudinal Study of Novice Primary School Teachers’ Knowledge and Quality of Mathematics Instruction"

Doctoral student Jiwon Lee (pictured left) and Associate Professor Rossella Santagata (pictured right) have published an article in the January 2020 edition of ZDM: The International Journal on Mathematics Education: "A Longitudinal Study of Novice Primary School Teachers’ Knowledge and Quality of Mathematics Instruction."

Lee is a fourth year doctoral student specializing in Learning, Teaching, Cognition, and Development (LTCD).

Lee's research interests focus on mathematics education, teacher effectiveness, reflective practice in teaching and learning, and use of classroom videos to improve instruction  She is advised by Dr. Santagata.

Santagata's research interests include mathematics education, video and multimedia in teacher learning, culture and learning, and equity & education.

​Abstract

​Little is known about the relationship between knowledge and instructional quality of novice primary school teachers during their first 3 years of teaching mathematics. This study utilizes the Classroom video analysis and the Mathematical quality of instruction to examine changes in beginning teachers’ usable knowledge and instructional quality, respectively, and their relationship in each year. The analyses reveal positive associations between knowledge and instructional quality in the second and third year of teaching. Two case study teachers illustrate the tight link between knowledge and practice and how different school contexts provide contrasting opportunities to learn from practice, thus contributing to the different patterns of knowledge and instructional quality over time. The findings suggest that usable knowledge of student mathematical thinking at the beginning of the profession supports teacher improvement in both knowledge and practice over time if the vision of the school context is aligned with student-centered instruction.